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Saturday, June 13, 2009
My Other Collections
Here's my collection of Fire King and other Jadite:
Here's more Jadite and other Fire King stuff. Sad to say I actually have more than is shown in these pictures!
Here's some of my McCoy Pottery. Love the colors!
And here's some of my vintage Fiesta and Lipton Teapots. Love these colors, too!
So you see, I have a LOT of STUFF! And this doesn't even count all the Sewing Collectibles and other items packed away in closets that need to be sold! But it will be fun and it'll take years, I'm sure. Fortunately, we're not in any hurry to leave! Could you tell I used to be an antiques dealer? There's still nothing I enjoy more than shopping for this stuff and I still can't pass up a bargain! Have a great week~
17 comments:
- Elaine/Muddling Through said...
Oh, Glenna, you've got it bad! I spent so many years without things I wanted and even a few I needed that when I could - I went a little wild, too. I'm trying to be good now, though. Honest. Really. I am.
- June 13, 2009 at 2:36 PM
- Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...
Oh I am so glad to hear from you, I was worried, glad your mom is still on the right path and that you got to get a way if for only a while. If you do decide to sell more on eBay you know who, will be first in line. Take care!
- June 13, 2009 at 2:37 PM
- Abby and Stephanie said...
Oh dear...gorgeous things but all I can imagine is the dusting! :o) I told my husband if we win the lottery I'm downsizing!
You must have been dreaming about rick rack. I'm thrilled to have a collection now. - June 13, 2009 at 4:59 PM
- Elizabeth said...
What wonderful collections you have! I'm drooling over those photos.
- June 13, 2009 at 9:38 PM
- Unknown said...
Glenna, I am so glad that you have posted. I have checked on your several times. I knew that you were probably helping your mom. I am sending good thoughts your way. I loved seeing your collections. I think we do have a "disease" when we collect various items. But it is fun!
- June 14, 2009 at 7:10 AM
- Nanette Merrill said...
I am SURE you wouldn't have trouble unloading. All your things are so beautiful. It is hard to see parents go in that slow decline thing. Sad. I've gotta go check out your listings.
- June 15, 2009 at 5:21 PM
- Truffle queen said...
It's not easy when you become the "mom" and your mom becomes the "daughter" - life reversal is so hard. Just remember all the wonderful good days....
When I was a "kid", the "Coffee Cup Restaurant" in my hometown used the light green cups and plates - could they be the same as what you've collected? The restaurant is long gone - wonder what happened to the "china"? - June 18, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Hi Glenna, I love looking at all of your collections. We must be kindred spirits! Besides the feedsacks, I also collect vintage pottery like Fiesta, Apple, Flow Blue, and such. Or maybe I could be called a 'Horder'! Loved looking at your wonderful sewing room. pssst... it's much neater than mine! Ha!! Kay
- June 20, 2009 at 12:46 PM
- Barb said...
Glenna, I am sorry about your mom, I can say that she is soooooooooo lucky to have you. I love all your antiques, that is my weakness, well, one of them,dishes....I just love them and the older the better.
- June 21, 2009 at 2:00 PM
- Red Geranium Cottage said...
Glenna, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she rest peacefully. My thoughts are will all of you.
You better think twice about that mvoe girlfriend. I'm just sayin!!! Been there, doing that. Not fun. Just say no!!
Hugs - June 21, 2009 at 11:04 PM
Your pictures are beautiful. I know what you are going through with your Mom, take care of yourself too.
If your Mom is up to it ask all the questions you can think of, where she met your Dad, where her Mom met Grandpa-where they married Great grandparents etc. and write it down. I am into genealogy and there are SO many questions I wish I had asked. Hope to see you at a quilt store. Take care.
Gail Bales - June 22, 2009 at 3:13 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- September 24, 2009 at 7:23 AM
- The Vintage Seamstress said...
Love your jadeite collection, I have a big one too. I can remember buying plates for a dollar a piece! That was long ago... I think the only thing I don't have ias an authentic ball tilt pitcher (i have a repro though! lol) you have a very neat blog!
Gwen - January 14, 2011 at 7:43 PM
- Char said...
Very beautiful Glenna. I love that color of green and together it makes a pretty statement, Char
- February 16, 2011 at 10:20 AM
- Mrs. Cherry Heart said...
My Jadite collection has taken over my house too!
But I don't mind, I love it! It makes me smile!
Dolly - February 16, 2011 at 2:10 PM
- Judy said...
Glenna! I love your jadeite collection! I had a nice collection years ago. And the McCoy is beautiful!
Thanks for sharing! - February 17, 2011 at 4:50 PM
- Fancy Vintage said...
Am so loving your collections of vintage china, so beautiful.
I also collect vintage china too, but my shelves are not as tidy, you have inspired me!
I so would love to move too, but I wouldn't know where to start with all my collections! - February 22, 2011 at 7:04 PM


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Justin Newcombe finds a crafty way to keep the kids happy at the bach these holidays.
Last summer holidays we hired a place which was short on comfort as well as remote in location, what with the mozzies, the library of ultra crappy books, the miniature world bathroom. And yes we're definitely going back this year.
There were no shops to speak of save a small set-up at the camp ground and some Auntie up the road from our crib selling an old lawn mower and some hand-me-down scratched Solid Gold LPs. That left the daily trip to the beach as the highlight. In the beginning these trips were relatively short; however once my kids discovered the joys of the surf (between the flags of course) it was hard to get them home again. The turning point came when we uncovered a couple of broken foam boogie boards in the garage. Although these were next to useless, with a parental push, some good fun was still to be had.
This year I've traded-up, and made the kids a couple of boards out of marine ply. I've figured out a method which is easy, really looks the business in a 1950's kind of way and most importantly the boards float. It is possible to make a lighter board using a different construction method but I wanted something I could make in half an hour in the evenings and not have to worry too much about the technical side of things.
Once my first board was finished I took my daughter Greta to the local beach for a test run. Although it was quite cold her determined test ride was a big success. Because the board is heavier than a foam one it doesn't float as high but once Greta caught the wave it really took off, was easy to turn and took her right into the shore. Its construction also makes it extremely durable, meaning with a bit of care, this boogie board may be around should I be lucky enough to have any grandkids.
Step 1
Mark out a half-template using a piece of doweling or flexible rod as a guide. The width and height of the board will depend on the size of the person riding it. Now cut out the template.
Step 2
Use the template to mark out two board shapes on 4mm marine ply and two on 12mm marine ply then cut them out.
Step 3
On the 12mm ply sections use a scribe to mark out the internal width of the rail. Mine are 50mm wide with a 50mm strip down the middle of the board and a series of 10mm ribs going from the middle to the sides every 100mm or so. It is easier to cut out the frame without the ribs and they can be added later during the gluing process.
The front of the board has a wider section of 150mm, the back of the board being 100mm. This is because the front and back sections will require more shaping than the sides.
Step 4
Make a basic mould using offcuts of plywood or other timber scraps - this is what the first 4mm ply section and the first 12mm cutout will be clamped over to form the bottom of the board.
Step 5
Use a glue powder to thicken the resin, mix up two-part epoxy resin in 200ml batches. Apply thickly to the 12mm frame then put this over the 4mm panel and press over the mould. Check that the frame and the bottom panel have good contact (but unlike PVA or other wood glues, don't squeeze the glue out of the join as this will weaken and starve the join).
Step 6
Let this dry then release the clamps. There will be a certain amount of springback, but a good shape is pretty easy to achieve.
Step 7
Repeat this process for the second section of 12mm frame. For larger boards you may want to add a third layer. To save on plywood this can be made out of offcuts and sandwiched in between the two whole frames.
Step 8
Finally glue on the deck, making sure that good contact is made with all surfaces. I used 12mm screws around the edges and timbers clamped across the middle of the board.
Step 9
Once dry, unclamp and remove screws in deck. Sand, file, plane and shape the board. I concentrated on the nose shape and the back of the deck for comfort.
Leave the sides of the board reasonably square underneath but rounded on top for comfort. This will make turning easier for the swimmer.
Step 10
To fit the leash plug, drill a hole into the top of the board using the depth gauge on your drill. Set the plug in place using epoxy glue. You can get a leash plug from any surf board manufacture supply store.
Step 11
Mix up a small batch of resin and fill in any gaps. When the resin is dry, sand and repeat until the board is smooth.
Step 12
Seal the board using a 50/50 mixture of thinners and marine varnish. Let this dry for 48 hours then sand, mask and paint using a good marine paint. Let each coat dry before lightly sanding the board down with fine steel wool.
Step 13
Once the painting is completed, varnish the top of the board and finish with car polish.

subset: commoncrawl


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Der opstod en fejl under afsendelsen af beskeden, prøv igen senere
Der opstod en fejl under afsendelsen af beskeden, prøv igen senere
In the southern Sicily in the Ragusa province, lies the southeastern city of Sicily. Listed as one of the UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites, this area is famous for its rich Barocco architecture. Scicli borders Ragusa and Modica and spreads for approximately 20 km along the Mediterranean coast, from the mouth of the Irminio river until the district of Pisciottto. With a population of 26,000, this area is also known for its high quality production of tomatoes. The total cultivation of table tomatoes in Italy is about 24,000 hectares with one-third of the total production (or 38%) grown in greenhouses. Production can run up to 900,000 tons per year making this a viable business.
About 40 percent of all fresh tomatoes consumed in Italy are of the cherry variety. The particular climatic conditions of Sicily and the high salinity of irrigation water contribute to a higher qualitative product. No one would know this better than the Muriana family who has been involved in horticulture for many years. Giuseppe Muriana's father started the family business by growing roses. It wasn't until 2003, that Mr. Muriana started growing cherry tomatoes. Today the company has a total surface of 10,000m2 and they produce about 100 tons of cherry tomatoes per year which are sold within Italy. The varieties are Shiren (cherry tomato) and Dasher, (date tomato).
This area in the south of Sicily is one of the best places for tomato plants growth, thanks to the mild winters, and the hot-dry summers. Of course, the vegetation also benefits from the Mediterranean sea breeze. But, just a few cold days during the wintertime can create serious problems for the horticulture production. When the temperature falls below zero, the plant production can be lost. And in the case of just a few degrees above zero, the plant growth can also be affected which could delay the fruit period and weaken the plant structure. During the mid-season, the big threat is the excessive humidity in the greenhouse. Most fungal and bacterial diseases are initiated under high RH conditions and cool temperatures.
However, the combination of a proper heating system with the right ventilation is the best answer to help the plants through these critical periods. And that's where Munters comes in. Giuseppe Muriana is very pleased with the results after installing Munters climate solution in 2003. In fact, he believes that his investment will be realized within five years.
Munters installed GP130 air heaters, equipped with oil burners were installed to keep the greenhouse temperature under control during the cold season to avoid any thermal shock to the plants. The EMT30 air circulators that were installed distribute the hot air in the greenhouses within a short time, reducing the working time of the heaters and granting a higher health of the plants. The EMT30 air circulators are also used for air destratification, keeping the internal humidity at a safe level and avoiding any disease or consequent treatments. The EM50 exhaust fans help to reduce the greenhouse RH early in the morning and to cool down the temperature in the hot summer days. And as Mr. Giuseppe Muriana says, "at the end of each production cycle, the products are always in the best condition thanks to the accurate climate control provided by Munters climate solution."
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Should You Stay or Should You Go Now?
A comment from the last post asks a question that turned into such a long response on my part that I'll go ahead and post it:
why aren't you looking for a new exciting job in a lean and mini startup?
Fair question. First, I'm a very clumsy Pied Piping Mephistopheles in my attempts to get other people to leave. But, part of that is putting out what the reality of staying at Microsoft entails, and it's not pretty.
You're not going to get rich.
You're not going to be a L68+ Partner.
You're no longer going to succeed based on your merits alone.
Ouch, think that's uncool? Then my good-looking Brothers and Sisters, there are better places for you. Elsewhere.
I'm a corporate animal and this Microsoft environment, with its toxic pockets and issues, is a well known savage savanna to me and I'm able to succeed and be fulfilled, seeing the situation for what it is. And of course trying to change those things that I believe the other Microsofties can attempt to influence, given insight. The great potential for this change for the better is an exciting inspiration.
But I almost left recently. True. It was a situation where I didn't have to worry about sim-releasing in N-teen languages and ensuring that the Lords of IT were well and pleased. I could put out some cool features and IT-fanboys would suck-it-up and use whatever we made available to them and celebrate each newly released gizmo feature vs. crap all over the product and boo-hoo complain about all the compliance testing they had to do before moving to it. Tempting.
It did make me realize the accumulated shackles we haul around given the greater responsibility we have in creating World Class Software. No one else does it near the scope that Microsoft does. I don't know if we appreciate that deeply enough ourselves. Or appreciate it as a distinguishing, competitive feature. It certainly does not make you nimble and I've seen more than one feature killed due to localization and internationalization.
So, I stay because I still care. I care about making a difference for Microsoft products, and for carrying on the conversation here to see what other issues there are that should be brought out into the light and discussed, with the hopes of change for the better of Microsoft.
But Microsoft continues to bloat in size, the stock is flat, innovation is still somewhere out there, inspiring leadership is absent, executives seem to be flipping stock-grants, and efficiency and agility are still unrealized for many teams. The aircraft carrier hasn't turned very well yet, and the crew has become more and more dispassionate. I know my blue-badge clock is ticking and I hope I can make some difference before I head for the door and get to have fun writing EN-US Class Software.
All of us of deep software talent (and I'm putting myself in that group) are volunteers. We work where we work in a voluntarily sense because we enjoy it and it's the best place we can imagine for ourselves. We can pretty much get a job where-ever we want. Right now, for me, that's Microsoft. And there are changes happening. Slowly. But I think I've personally made the mistake of being anti-this and anti-that vs. being pro-this and pro-that. When you're anti-something and it gets attacked and then reduced, what takes its place? Whoops. Hadn't thought that one through. Maybe something worse than what was there. You've got to flip it around and be pro: pro-agility, pro-efficiency, pro-transparency, pro-compelling features, pro-iterative shipping, pro-stock growth, pro-meritocracy, pro pro pro.
I'm enjoying it while I can, and taking notes. I'm growing more in a business sense than a technical sense.
I can tell you this: I, like a lot of senior Microsofties, can't imagine staying for another year of flat stock growth. I'll have to be developing the bestest, funnest software in the world to live through another year of watching a stock price that meanders around like a fat, gassy contented cow from Carnation. I see this next year as the loyalty tipping point for Microsofties who have held on this long, hoping beyond hope for the shares to finally perform. If that doesn't happen, the office spacing problem around large of chunks of Microsoft will start to ease up without new buildings opening. And be wary of those who do stay, because you'll have to ask why.
So. You've had a chance to go through the MSPoll recently and perhaps consider how things are going for you. Why do you stay? Is it something beyond great benefits? What would compel you to stay for a long time, and what's on the verge of pushing you out the door?


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Kindness Girl / 3″ H
Dd26218 Resin / " W X " D X 3.0″ H / Cm W X Cm D X Cm H
Above All, Kindness.
Willow Tree® Is An Intimate Line Of Figurative Sculptures That Speak In Quiet Ways To Heal, Comfort, Protect And Inspire. Artist Susan Lordi Hand Carves The Original Of Each Figure From Her Studio In Kansas City Missouri. Pieces Are Cast From Her Original Carvings, And Individually Painted By Hand. Expression Is Revealed Through Gestures Only A Tilt Of The Head, Placement Of The Hands, A Turn Of The Body. The Simplicity Of Form And Absence Of Facial Features Signify Willow Tree. It Is SusanS Hope That These Pieces Be Meaningful To Both Giver And Receiver.
Susan Lordi Describes Herself As A Maker. And When She'S Not Making Something, SheS Thinking About It. Since Introducing Willow Tree® In 1999, She Has Conceived, Sculpted And Carved The Original Of Each Figure In Her Kansas City Art Studio. Her Artistic Process Is Rather Intuitive; She "Sketches" In Clay As She Forms And Carves Each Piece. This One-Of-A-Kind Approach To Product Creation Makes Her Pieces Truly Individual… Her Hand, And Her Unique Perspective, Is Evident In Each Sculpture.


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En espańol
13th International Vegan Festival 4 - 12 June, 2011 "A whole world to share"
Elimar Hotel - Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga (Spain)
The venue for the 13th International Vegan Festival is the 3* Elimar Hotel, right at the seafront in Rincón de la Victoria (Málaga), Spain, just 13 km from Málaga, with a regular bus service, to and from the main train and bus station, stopping at the hotel. The Elimar Hotel was the venue for the First Vegetarian/Vegan Gathering of Andalusia in 2006, and I have chosen it to celebrate the vegan lifestyle and the principles of veganism, that represent a bulwark of solidarity against an irrational food model based on animal exploitation.
The 13th International Vegan Festival will be held from the first weekend in June 2011, starting with the arrival and registration of participants on Saturday the 4th of June, until the departure on Sunday morning on the 12th of June (a total stay of 8 nights at the hotel). However, those unable to attend the whole Festival, may book the days they wish between the 4th and the 12th of June, and / or including an early arrival and late departure, before or after the Festival, to extend their holiday and enjoy a few extra days by the sea.
The hotel stay includes full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner), with a varied vegan menu (without animal products). The Festival motto is "A Whole World to Share", and the programme will address all matters relating to vegan nutrition, its benefits and positive social and environmental impact, including the ethical, ecological, educational and scientific aspects of veganism, in stark contrast to the cruel unsustainable model of animal food production and the health and environmental problems derived from the consumption and exploitation of animals.
For reservations until the end of December 2010, for an 8 night stay at the hotel with full board from Saturday 4th until departure on Sunday 12th June 2011, the total cost per person in a double room - including registration, a gala dinner and a local tour to the Treasure Cave/"Cueva del Tesoro" located in Rincón de la Victoria - is 480 Euros, a triple room 450 Euros, and a single room 550 Euros. For shorter or longer bookings or earlier arrivals and/or later departures, before the 4th and after the 12th of June, please let me know your arrival and departure dates to calculate the cost for the whole length of your stay. Please send your details to: aveivu.org Children younger than 12, accompanied by two adults, stay free, and a second child or one accompanied by one adult, pay only 50%.
For reservations from January first till the 15th of March, you need to add 30 Euros, and another 20 euros from that date until May 31st 2011 (final registration).
If you do not require accommodation at the hotel, you can pay a partial or general registration fee to attend conferences and participate in the festival. You may also reserve and pay separately for festival meals, including the gala dinner on June 11th: aveivu.org
It is advisable to book early to guarantee your reservation, either sending a partial payment of 50% of your total cost, by splitting your payment if necessary or transferring the whole amount to the Spanish Vegan Society (AVE) account, in order to ensure and better manage your registration, accommodation and meals.
To make your reservation please complete the registration form or send your booking details by email to the Spanish Vegan Society (AVE): aveivu.org - You may also write to AVE´s post office box 478:
Francisco Martín AVE Apartado Postal 478 29740 Torre del Mar (Málaga) Spain
Payments for the 13th International Vegan Festival should preferably be sent by bank transfer to the Spanish Vegan Society´s account in IberCaja, indicating the IBAN number and BIC/SWIFT identification for international transfers:
Outside the Eurozone it is necessary to make the transfer in Euros, not as currency exchange, to save bank charges.
You can send payments by PayPal as well.
The programme for the 13th International Vegan Festival will address the issues relating to global nutrition and health, including the ethical, environmental, educational and scientific aspects against animal exploitation, to vindicate a more healthy and compassionate vegan food ethic and lifestyle that takes into account the needs and interests of others. The benefits of rational food habits will also be highlighted as well as the dangers of the present food model, which is ethically, ecologically and socially unsustainable.
Festival excursions and tours
During the Festival a planned visit to the Treasure Cave or "Cueva del Tesoro" in Rincón de la Victoria, is well worth a visit, as it is one of only three caves of submarine origin known in the world, and the only sea cave of such characteristics that may be visited on the European continent, and you are invited to book and join this interesting local excursion when you register, without added cost.
Other possible optional affordable trips of interest to Spanish and international participants arriving before or leaving after the Festival, are: The Caves of Nerja or "Cuevas de Nerja" - a series of caverns stretching for almost 5 km, and one of Spain´s major tourist attractions, plus a local visit to Málaga, as well as other regional trips to the city of Córdoba, the old capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus; to Granada, the last muslim city in Spain until 1492 (one of the most valued tourist destinations), and Seville, the fourth largest Spanish city, located on the plain of the Guadalquivir river, navigable all the way to Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Dońana National Park, on the Atlantic coast, with a great diversity of biotopes – beaches, swamps, lagoons, fixed and moving dunes, pine and cork oak woodland and heath. This Park is Europe´s largest sanctuary for migrating birds.
Please let me know if you would want to register for any of these excursions and whether you have a preference for a pre or post festival tour, in order to organise a possible visit to any of these historical destinations or to Dońana´s National Park, if there is enough interest among festival participants.
All the relevant information about the festival will be regularly updated on www.ivu.org/veganfest/2011, but I will be pleased to answer any questions or settle any doubts you may have. I thank you for your support and look forward to your participation in the 13th International Vegan Festival in June 2011.
Friendly greetings,
Francisco Martín President of Spanish Vegan Society (AVE) aveivu.org


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Sen. King Calls for Judicial Oversight of Drone Strikes
Senate Intelligence Committee member Angus King on Friday asked the leaders of the panel to incorporate language into the fiscal 2014 intelligence authorization bill setting up a court to review targeted killings of U.S. citizens in foreign countries.
The Maine independent's request in a letter to the committee's leaders came on the same day as leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees unveiled letters to President Barack Obama directly requesting access to Department of Justice legal opinions justifying overseas drone strikes against U.S. citizens suspected of being terrorists.
The series of letters are evidence of growing momentum in Congress to address the use of drones, both legislatively and with regular committee oversight. The concerns extend to whether Congress needs to enact legislation to protect the privacy of U.S. citizens from domestic drones, and to specify where drone strikes can be used overseas.
Obama's nomination of John O. Brennan to lead the CIA has touched off some of the congressional commotion over drones. As the top White House counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, Brennan has guided the administration's drone strike policies. At his nomination hearing Thursday, Brennan was questioned extensively about their use.
King's idea in his letter to Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and her vice chairman, Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., would be to create a court similar to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which issues warrants for conducting surveillance. That court was created by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (PL 95-511).
"As the committee begins preparing the intelligence authorization act for fiscal year 2014, I ask that you work with me to contemplate legislative solutions, such as the creation of an outside judicial process similar to the FISA court, that might provide an independent perspective in the distinctive case of a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al Qaeda," King wrote.
Feinstein said at Brennan's hearing that she would review legislative proposals on drone strikes, including one similar to King's. Brennan said the idea of a court deserves consideration, but he said the administration had wrestled with a similar idea and decided that courts were not best suited for a more military, executive branch-related function.
The House and Senate Judiciary panels on Friday stepped up their pressure to receive documents related to the drone strikes.
In a letter to Obama dated Feb. 7 and released Friday, Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., and top committee Republican Charles E. Grassley of Iowa wrote that they were entitled to the same Office of Legal Counsel memos provided to the Intelligence committees.
"The deliberate killing of a United States citizen pursuant to a targeted operation authorized or aided by our government raises significant constitutional and legal concerns that fall squarely within the jurisdiction of the committee," Leahy and Grassley wrote.
Leaders of the House Judiciary Committee and several of its subcommittees also released a letter to Obama dated Feb. 8, asking Obama to uphold his commitment at the beginning of his first term to make transparency and openness a "cornerstone" of his presidency.
"We therefore request that you direct the Justice Department to provide members of the House Judiciary Committee the opportunity to review all legal opinions relied upon by your administration related to the use of lethal force to target specific terror suspects or the broader use of signature strikes," they wrote. "Congress is perfectly equipped to confidentially handle sensitive information, and we are willing to discuss whatever safeguards you believe necessary to protect the information."
The letter was signed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert W. Goodlatte, R-Va., and ranking member John Conyers Jr., D-Mich.; Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis. and ranking member Robert C. Scott, D-Va.; Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks, R-Ariz. and ranking member Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
Publicly, administration officials have alternately argued that further disclosure of classified Office of Legal Counsel advice would jeopardize intelligence sources and methods, and that it is extremely rare that such documents are disclosed to Congress. The House Judiciary Committee's letter stated that the administration had not answered its three previous requests for the documents.


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Taylor Swift attends fan's bridal shower, even brings gifts
Taylor Swift did something pretty awesome for a fan. Not only did she show up to her fan's bridal shower - she also brought gifts!
Swift roadtripped all the way to Ohio so she could go to a fan named Gena's big day. The two met at a meet-and-greet in 2007. Gena sent Swift an invitation to the wedding, but reportedly the singer couldn't make that, so she showed up at the bridal shower.
She did, though, make the shower. This was the social media moment of a lifetime.
Gena posted about Swift's stop-in on Instagram. She wrote she couldn't believe the singer showed up. People were gushing over the photo, calling the country star "the sweetest."
Gena also noted her mother called them "the same person," writing they both love coffee and sugar.
The star gifted Gena a KitchenAid mixer as well as some cookies she baked and her own recipe. Swift noted it was her first bridal shower ever.
But let's not forget the husband-to-be. Time wonders if Swift was trouble when she walked in (heh).
"Her fiancé probably hates Taylor Swift now, though, because he knows his wife-to-be will never be as excited to see him as she was to see T-Swift."
This latest sweet move by the Swiftinator comes after she visited sick children in the hospital a few weeks ago.


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Gene Cartwright
The late Award-winning actress, Ms Cicely Tyson read Gene's third novel, 'a Family Gathering', called in 2008, and they spoke for more than two hours. It was an unexpected honor. They shared a frie...view moreThe late Award-winning actress, Ms Cicely Tyson read Gene's third novel, 'a Family Gathering', called in 2008, and they spoke for more than two hours. It was an unexpected honor. They shared a friendship and a deep and abiding respect.Ms. Tyson said, of 'A Family Gathering:' - "I have not been so moved by a story since reading Alex's book [Roots]. Words cannot express Gene's reaction.The Author:Gene Cartwright, a native of Texas, often says it was his great fortune to be born at the right address— the home of his parents.His mother who taught him to read when he was barely four. He was fascinated, captured by the freedom reading afforded. Gene read and was inspired to put his own words to paper. He has always enjoyed both technical and literary pursuits. He wrote his first novel at 12. (90 pages longhand.)Gene graduated high school and in less than a month, headed immediately to college at Prairie View A&M. Four years later, and for almost eight years thereafter, during what he now refers to as another life, Gene was an electrical engineer, designing lighting and power distribution systems.Next, Gene founded and owned a very successful consumer electronics company in Houston, Texas. A few years later, he saddled up and headed west.Throughout his engineering pursuits and business activities, he continued to write and dream of being a published and a fulltime author. In 1996, that dream was realized. Gene has written 10 novels, 2 nonfiction, 1—a book of "visual poetry", and several screenplays. Gene's latest book, "The Value of Small Things," is a powerful little book that will help you find reasons for loving your life. He also owns several patents.For two years, his book tour for 'I Never Played Catch With My Father,' took him from coast to coast: He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including Oprah, NPR stations and countless TV morning shows, news and sports shows. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Gene was the featured author in Ebony Magazine in the November '97 issue.Finally, Gene's greatest childhood thrill was his very first little league baseball game. And his pet peeve, something he labels sacrilegious: the use of the aluminum baseball bats.More to come.Gene's Website: https://GeneCartwrightBooks.comBlog: https://gblog.genecartwright.comOther sites:https://GreenLightThis.comhttps://Noteplayer.comview less


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Male supermodel Tyson Beckford is warning his fans ... the unreleased sex tape featuring himself (with himself) is definitely NOT a masterpiece. Sorry ladies (and some men).
TMZ broke the story ... someone is shopping footage of the 41-year-old former Polo model pleasuring himself during a recent Internet video chat with a female model.
Tyson went on Twitter yesterday to address the issue with fans ... saying he's "sad but life goes on."
"Don't even faze me" ... Tyson added ... "We all do it, just mine got caught on film."
He also admitted, "Not much of a sex tape lol."
Beckford also got Twitter love from "Transformers" star Tyrese Gibson ... the same guy who he gripes about being confused with on the sex tape.
"What folks don't know is that Tyson opened the door for me to model" ... Tyrese explained.
Tyrese also says the confusion with Tyson has helped him get laid (like these guys need help) ... saying, "I've pulled a few of your fans who thought I was YOU..!! They were too bad to let them go!! Lol!"


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Richie Sambora
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Richard "Richie" Steven Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist of the band Bon Jovi.
Doctorate Award Speech, Kean University (2004)[edit]
"Richie Sambora, Kean University Commencement Ceremonies Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters,", PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ (2004-05-06); quoted on Jovirunaway's Bon Jovi Shrine
- Embrace every challenge you have, every person you meet, every place you visit, every task you succeed at, and especially those at which you fail. You will learn from them all. You'll learn about the world at large and about other people but most important, you'll learn about yourself.
- Dare to fail. If you never fail, you're never taken risks and that's no way to take on this life.
- Seize every opportunity you have to learn. Keep your eyes and ears wide open and seize life — don't let the moments slip through your fingers like a fistful of sand. Be your own teacher. Let life write your textbook.
- For me, success is being able to give back to your friends, your family, your community, those in need and the world entire.
- There is absolutely no substitute for hard work.
- Somehow, you need to cling to your optimism. Always look for the silver lining. Always look for the best in people. Try to see things through the eyes of a child. See the wonder in the simplest things. Never stop dreaming. Believe anything is possible.
- Let me assure you, nothing in this life feels better than having the confidence that you can take care of yourself and your family and know that you can continue to grow and excel in your profession and as a person.
- Don't look over your shoulder and don't use or abuse others to get ahead. Keep your eyes focused on your goals and keep working for what you believe in and what you want to accomplish.


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Open source technology is central to Morphlabs' business model.
The company, launched in 2007 with Yoram Heller as a cofounder, builds fully modular, scalable public and private cloud products. It takes open source software and designs architecture to run on specific hardware.
Building its products on top of open source software is the main innovation that allows Morphlabs to dramatically lower the barrier of entry to cloud computing. For example, using Morphlab's technology, public cloud service providers can realize 60 percent margins while still competing toe-to-toe with Amazon/AWS.
Helping to effectively compete against cloud giant Amazon is the battle cry that Heller, vice president of corporate development at Morphlabs, asserts in describing his company's marketing mission. He sees his company's battery of cloud products as weapons to counter, if not overtake, Amazon's tight control of the cloud turf.
Eucalyptus was the only open source project dedicated to building AWS-compatible private and hybrid clouds when Morphlabs started making software for the clouds," Heller told LinuxInsider.
The Eucalyptus Project was the only thing around but was not really much of an open source project, he noted. Heller views it as more of the source for a fork that the OpenStack Project created.
In working with service providers for cloud computing, Morphlabs looks at two main factors, according to Heller. One is the cost to run it. The other is the performance level the configuration provides.
In this interview Yoram Heller discusses the rise in market share for open source in the cloud, and how his company harnesses open source technology to compete with Amazon as a financially viable open source operation.
LinuxInsider: Describe the market in terms of competition that led you to see an opening for what Morphlabs offered.
Yoram Heller: When we started, there was no open source alternative to Amazon. If you look at the market, Amazon was first and defined the private cloud space. Then there was VMware that was dominating the enterprise space. There needed to be an open source alternative, and a couple of players stepped up.
You saw Eucalyptus amd then CloudStack, which I think was architected incorrectly. Finally came OpenStack as the one which was most open, had the support of the community and had the support of the developer.
LI: How much of its own proprietary software has Amazon relied upon to build its cloud architecture beyond pure open source?
Heller: I can not speak to what Amazon's technology is. They generally utilize a bunch of open source. Anybody you go to today who operates on a massive web scale, the only way to do that effectively is to utilize open source. As you and I know, it is not just for the cost. Most of the innovation is there in terms of the infrastructure.
LI: How have your clients and potential customers reacted to your reliance on open source rather than proprietary products?
Heller: I think that depends on whether you are going after the enterprise market or the service provider market. I have found at this point the service providers are more than comfortable with open source. Enterprise is as well. Linux is obviously the most deployed OS out there. I do not think we need to do any convincing about using open source in that regard, to tell you the truth.
LI: In developing your product line, have you relied mostly on open source or ventured into building with your own code added onto your starting platform?
Heller: We release most of our code back to the community, especially what we have done with OpenStack. We also have written Puppetmodules, which allow for easy deployment.
However, the interface that we have is our own proprietary software. We believe that open source is not always the best way to design. That is something that we built ourselves. That being said, we adhere to open standards with our APIs. Everything is accessible from the API. The user interface that we built is really just a stable representation of that.
LI: What do you see as the driving points for your market space?
Heller: The service providers are just looking for a way to compete effectively with some sort of a strategy to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible. To get something like that done, what is necessary is an alternative.
That being said, open source seems like it is easy to do. It is almost the best marketing for the open source companies. It takes a lot of work, however, and a lot of technologies have to be integrated to deliver a product that gives you what you need it to do in the market.
LI: What level of growth have you seen in companies adopting the open source model in the years you have been developing Morphlabs?
Heller: In open source frameworks, I think OpenStack is the fastest growing project ever. It has completely taken off. It is almost faster than what most people expected. In terms of that, open source's growth has been pretty tremendous.
LI: What challenges have you confronted in using the open source model?
Heller: I have been involved with open source for the last 15 years. For us starting out, the quality of the software just did not get to where we needed to get to. They [Eucalyptus Community members] were not accepting code within the community, which was pretty difficult. But with OpenStack it has been pretty smooth sailing. We are very excited about the progress and the strong community support.
LI: What makes open source projects financially viable?
Heller: That depends. You have several variations of open source. For instance, there is the support model which you get from Ubuntu. You have what Red Hat does, which is a little bit different with its Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Then there is the open core model with its GPL license, which MySQL did very well. And you have what we do, which is taking various open source technologies and productizing them into something different. We are actually obfuscating a lot of the technology away so you do not see the complexities — so you do not see what you are utilizing.
LI: Where do you see open source technology headed over the next five years?
Heller: We do not believe that there is a way to beat Amazon by building a second Amazon. We want to enable — and it is our vision as a company — guerrilla warfare against Amazon. So imagine if they were a nation state. We want to arm hundreds if not thousands of providers to have the servers to compete effectively against Amazon.
LI: What is your battle plan for that to happen?
Heller: We focus on the service provider. We believe that the service provider market has been intimidated by Amazon. They [Amazon] totally changed the game for everybody. Right now most service providers lack the time, the technology, the skill set or the people to compete effectively.
LI: How can you change that?
Heller: What we aim to do is be their [technology providers'] technology partner. We offer subscription software and target designs for hardware. We provide what we call hyperdensity. This allows us to put 100 Virtual Machines in a single node. This brings the cost per VM, including software and hardware, down to about US$15 per CPU per month. That is what Amazon sells for $46 per month. The performance is about five times faster. We think we are meeting a need that exists in the market. We are seeing a tremendous amount of attention.


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A new theory suggests that our male ancestors evolved beefy facial features as a defence against fist fights.
The bones most commonly broken in human punch-ups also gained the most strength in early "hominin" evolution. They are also the bones that show most divergence between males and females.
The paper, in the journal Biological Reviews, argues that the reinforcements evolved amid fighting over females and resources, suggesting that violence drove key evolutionary changes. Fossil records show that the australopiths, immediate predecessors of the human genus Homo, had strikingly robust facial structures. For many years, this extra strength was seen as an adaptation to a tough diet including nuts, seeds and grasses. But more recent findings, examining the wear pattern and carbon isotopes in australopith teeth, have cast some doubt on this "feeding hypothesis". "In fact, [the australopith] boisei, the 'nutcracker man', was probably eating fruit," said Prof David Carrier, the new theory's lead author and an evolutionary biologist at the University of Utah. Instead of diet, Prof Carrier and his co-author, physician Dr Michael Morgan, propose that violent competition demanded the development of these facial fortifications: what they call the "protective buttressing hypothesis".
In support of their proposal, Carrier and Morgan offer data from modern humans fighting. Several studies from hospital emergency wards, including one from the Bristol Royal Infirmary, show that faces are particularly vulnerable to violent injuries.
"Jaws are one of the most frequent bones to break - and it's not the end of the world now, because we have surgeons, we have modern medicine," Prof Carrier explained. "But four million years ago, if you broke your jaw, it was probably a fatal injury. You wouldn't be able to chew food... You'd just starve to death."
The jaw, cheek, eye and nose structures that most commonly come to grief in modern fist fights were also the most protected by evolutionary changes seen in the australopiths.
Furthermore, these are the bones that show the most differences between men and women, as well as between our male and female forebears. That is how you would expect defensive armour to evolve, Prof Carrier points out.
"In humans and in great apes in general... it's males that are most likely to get into fights, and it's also males that are most likely to get injured," he told BBC News.
Interestingly, the evolutionary descendents of the australopiths - including humans - have displayed less and less facial buttressing.
This is consistent, according to Prof Carrier, with a decreasing need for protection: "Our arms and upper body are not nearly as strong as they were in the australopiths," he explained. "There's a temporal correlation."
The facial buttressing idea builds on a previous observation by Prof Carrier and Dr Morgan that the early hominins were the first primates to evolve a hand shape compatible with making a fist - and thus, throwing a punch.


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Next Meeting
Jan. 13, 2024 Canceled till March
Wind River Heritage Center in Riverton There will be a potluck lunch at 12:00 p.m., followed by the meeting at 1:00 p.m. If you can't make it to the meeting, we will have a Zoom meeting set up, look for the link in your email, or on Facebook.
Claims Assessement Form links PDF Doc
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Joining the WPA is a great way to learn about gold mining and prospecting. Whether you are a veteran (sourdough), or new to gold mining (tinhorn) Our club has something for everyone. We have outings and participate in conventions and shows to further promote our club and prospecting and small mining as a whole. Our club is a great place to learn the basics. We also have access to claims which even veteran prospectors would appreciate. So whether you are a tinhorn or a sourdough we welcome you with open arms.
There is a lot of gold left in Wyoming since in the past during the gold rushes (1800 and 1930) Wyoming was too wild and inhospitable for large mining efforts to be undertaken. Tens of thousands or millions of miners worked the mining districts in states like Colorado, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota and others. But because at that time there was absolutely no easy access to Wyoming gold areas only a few very hardy prospectors ever even put pick and shovel to the ground. The few mining operations that did operate did extremely well finding huge amounts of gold. Most of the ground remains virgin, yes I said virgin. Unlike other states where you have to search to find virgin gold ground and are stuck reworking tailings, Wyoming is just opposite you would have to search to find old tailings to work since almost all of the ground is virgin. Extensive geological studies have been done and estimate ,in the greater South Pass area alone, somewhere between 100,000,000 to 200,000,000+ ounces of gold are in the ground waiting to be mined.
The Wyoming Prospecting Association is not affiliated with the GPAA ( Gold Prospectors Association of America ) but several of our members also belong to the GPAA and we enjoy working with GPAA members to help them find the GPAA claims in Wyoming. If you are a GPAA member in or close to Wyoming join our club to give you even greater access to Wyoming gold claims. Some of our gold claims are located near or a short drive from the GPAA claims.
2016 Outing Pics


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- Joined: Jan 12, 2022
- Last Login: Jan 12, 2022, 9:54am PST
Name of Business: Stamped Concrete Cincinnati Address: 8250 Beta Ave Cincinnati, OH 45231 Phone: (513) 547-2550 Keywords: stamped concrete Cincinnati, stamped concrete patio Cincinnati, concrete repair Cincinnati, driveway, patterned concrete, decorative concrete Description: Looking for stamped concrete in Cincinnati? Give us a call at (513) 547-2550 for a Free Quote on stamped concrete patios, driveways, and patterned or decorative concrete. Business hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 am - 7:00 pm Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stamped-concrete-cincinnati-cincinnati Youtube: https://youtu.be/fFDSpPOHMOE


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If you did not watch Wednesday night's presidential debate, here's how bad it was: the Democrats are now looking to Joe Biden to turn things around.
Yes, the latest Mitt Romney was one of the best models his technicians have produced yet, free from technical glitches and referencing real Americans he'd met on the campaign trail so often you'd think he might actually remember them. For the first time in a while, Romney's hair and complexion looked normal. He was a little petulant, but less so than usual. And he ran all over moderator Jim Lehrer, who a friend of mine cruelly, yet hilariously, compared to Admiral Stockdale. But the real problem last night was, of course, Barack Obama—who looked like he was still sitting in a room somewhere listening to a John Kerry monologue. ("I know the feeling," says Teresa.)
In the debate's aftermath, Michael Moore began the blame game over Obama's bloodless performance by honing in on Senator Kerry. In truth, one does have to wonder what possessed the White House to select the guy who lost to George W. Bush as their "debate coach." I suppose if the Obama campaign really expected Thurston Howell III to show up on stage last night—the rich and oblivious character they've created in their campaign ads—than Kerry is as good a choice as any. This after all, was the guy who praised the Ohio State Buckeyes in Michigan, managed to call our troops in Iraq "uneducated," and made one of the biggest political gaffes of all time ("I was for it before I was against it"). Oddly, the guy who sounded most like Kerry last night was Obama, ponderous and lecturing. In fact, at his worst Obama is more like Michael Dukakis, the passionless, know-it-all technocrat, who famously answered a question about his wife's theoretical rape and murder as if he were debating a new study on the benefits of ethanol.
The idea that the Mitt Romney who showed up in Denver would be their best-case scenario demonstrates the depth of arrogance and overconfidence within the president's team. That overconfidence was exacerbated by nearly every media outlet in America declaring the election over and Romney an almost certain debate loser. The day of the debate, an article mused about what might happen if Romney completely flopped. It was a good question, and certainly a possibility, but the same apparently was not asked of President Obama. By anyone. Obama thus went into the debate with enormous expectations. A large majority of Americans polled before the debate assumed Obama would win it handily, which made his loss—and it was a loss—even worse.
The president would have been better off having a Magic 8-ball as a debate partner. I mean that only partly in jest. One of the advantages of being someone like Mitt Romney is that he can be anything to anybody on any day. He changes his views with such abandon that nearly every one of his Republican opponents out and out called him a liar. But he got away with it. That's how good he is. John Kerry is a liberal Democrat committed to a certain set of ideas. He doesn't know how to sound like a Tea Partier one day and a gay-rights activist the next. He's the world's worst flip-flopper.
What the president needs as a debate partner is a guy filled with ambition, someone desperate to please, able to recite facts and figures as if they mean something while biting his lip, talking about his "Mama," and trying to sound as "average American" as possible. A guy who has no problem abandoning any position if it helps his chances, and gets away with it by pretending he hasn't changed a thing. Don't know who I mean? Here's a hint: he's on the phone right now in Chappaqua telling anyone who'll listen how much better he (or Hillary) would have done last night. Yes, bring Bill in as debate coach. He might be helpful. But hey, at this point maybe Obama ought to ask for pointers from Vice President Joe Biden. He can't foul things up any worse for the ticket. Right?


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Just bought a new strap which I'm very happy with then saw the fancy-schmancy slings that attach to the tripod-screw mount under the camera.
Is there a threaded bolt with a loop or two to allow me to attach one or both ends of my new strap to the tripod bolt? Something like this but perhaps cheaper and available in the UK?
I have a Nikon D5000.


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Adrian Rodriguez
Definitely not a tool of satan. HTML5 as new and scary as it may seem, is a huge blessing. The fact is, everything is becoming easier for us developers, and designers as well.
I also, like the backwards compatibility of it as well.
While I won't be utilizing everything, such as canvas, it still serves as a huge step in browser development, and hopefully it will send a hint to the guys at Microsoft to start improving IE


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- This event has passed.
Great Courses: Fall of the Pagans and the Origins of Medieval Christianity (Zoom)
- Date: Sunday, January 16, 2022
- Time: 11:15am–12:00pm
Join via Zoom: http://bit.ly/RSVideoClass
Meeting ID: 846 1030 7017
Passcode: 666321
Sunday at 11:15 a.m., the adult education video class resumes through Zoom with Dr. Kenneth W. Harl's 24 talk series "Fall of the Pagans and the Origins of Medieval Christianity." Each 30 minute talk will be followed by a period of questions and discussions coordinated by Dwight Rodgers. The course examines the period from Christian origins to the final suppression of non-Christian institutions during the 6th Century. Dr. Harl has written:
"The conversion of the classical world to Christianity is one of the fundamental changes in Western civilization that has been matched only by the discovery of the New World and the industrial revolution. This course will explain the reasons for the clash between the pagans and the early Christians that ended in the Christianizing of the Roman world between the 4th and 6th centuries A.D.
The opening lectures define paganism and explain the piety and the appeal of the pagan cults of the Roman world."
All are welcome to join these sessions at any time.


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Nonflavanoids and Color in White Wine
Nonflavanoids are the primary contributor to the color white wine. Compared to color in red wine, the chemical nature of color in white wine is not very well understood. The majority of the phenols in white wine are nonflavanoid hydroxycinamates. These include caftaric acid, coumaric acid and ferulic acid.
Some believe that the color characteristic yellow color of young white wine arises from the oxidation of flavanols like quercetin and kaempferol. In addition to this, nonflavanoids from oak cooperage contribute to the color.
The deep yellow color of white wines that have been aged most likely comes from the oxidation of phenols or galacturonic acid. The oxidation of phenols has been shown to shift its absorbtion spectrum to the visible range.
Nonflavanoid Chemistry
Generally, nonflavanoids are more structurally simplistic than flavanoids. In wines that are not aged in oak, nonflavanoids are primarily derivatives of hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinamic acids.
The most common form of nonflavanoids are hydroxycinamic acid derivatives. They are commonly esterified to organic acids, sugars, alcohols, and most commonly tartaric acid.
Examples of these derivatives are caftaric, fertaric and coutaric acids – these are the combination of tartaric acid with the hydroxycinamic acids; caffeic, ferulic and courmaic acids, repectively.
Caftaric acid plays an important role in phenol oxidation and oxidative browning in must.
The oxidized derivatives of coutaric and caftaric acid provides the yellowish-gold color in white wine.
Wines that are aged in oak contain elevated levels of hydroxylbenzoic acid derivatives. The most notable of these is ellagic acid, which is comprised of two molecules of gallic acid. Esters of ellagic acids enhance the color of red wine by acting as copigments with anthocyanins.
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Today it's the 150° Anniversary since the Unity of Italy.
To celebrate the occasion my mother prepared a cake for the event resembling italian flag !
Ingredients for the dough :
250g. Butter
500g. Flour
5 Egg yolks
200g. Icing Sugar
a pinch of salt
For the custard :
6 Egg yolks
500ml Milk
50g Flour
150g Sugar
1 stick of vanilla
Fruit :
about 2 kiwis
about 2 bananas
about 200g of strawberries
Preparations :
Cut the fruits in little slices and then put it to rest into a bowl full of lemon juice (so it wont get dark)
For the dough,whisk together the butter,flour and salt until it's well mixed up then add the icing sugar and the yolks,keep whisking and form a sphere,then wrap it using a plastic film and put it to rest into the fridge while we prepare the custard : put the milk and the vanilla stick (cut the stick and open it to let it spread into the milk) on the fire and as soon as it starts boiling take it away. Whisker the eggs and the sugar,then add the flour,remove the vanilla stick from the milk and then pour it into the mixture of eggs and sugar,then put the whole thing back on the fire to heat gently until it's gently boiling and take it away to cool down.
Take the dough out of the fridge,into a rectangular baking pan put some waxed paper on it then knead the dough forming a rectangle that you will put into the pan cook into the oven at 180° until it's golden (about 20 min).
Spread the custard on the cooked dough and then put the fruit on it starting from the left with kiwis,middle bananas and right strawberries.
Enjoy !


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The Classic Player ''50s Stratocaster was announced at this year''s Summer NAMM show.
The Classic Player ''50s Stratocaster was announced at this year''s Summer NAMM show, and at first seemed like the latest in semi-interesting Strat ideas concocted by Fender to squeeze every last bit of market share out of the old girl. Seriously, how many versions of the venerable Strat do we need? Last time I counted, Fender listed over 100 different variants, so my lack of enthusiasm would be excusable. Not surprisingly, my lack of open-mindedness might otherwise have kept me from one of the best Stratocasters Fender has offered up in ages.
The CP ''50s Strat, along with a few other models, is a joint effort between the U.S. Custom Shop and Fender''s Mexico factory. A Custom Shop Master Builder, in this case, Dennis Galuszka, specs out body woods, neck dimensions, finishes, pickups and hardware, and the guitars are then built in Fender''s Ensenada plant. Unique to this model is the American Standard two-pivot bridge with vintage-style saddles, giving a stable trem system with more of a vintage tone. It also sports vintage-style locking Gotoh tuners, which at first glance appear to be slotted Klusons; the locking mechanism is cleverly placed on top of the post, giving them that old, familiar look.
Overall assembly is good, with the fretwork and a two-tone ''burst poly finish being close to perfect. Fender sometimes seems to allow the Mexican-made stuff to leave the factory with sub-par setups and fretwork, but not here. The Classic Player ''50s Stratocaster also sports one of the best out-of-the-box setups I''ve ever encountered. Smiley face and a gold star for that. Besides the specs and setup, this thing plays and sounds sweet - sweeter than washing down Oreos with a Coke. The lightweight alder body and American Vintage pickups are a perfect combination, giving this guitar a nice, dry attack with just the right amount of Strat-y bloom.
The wood, pickups and maple fretboard invoke a nice, warm, three-dimensional sound, but not in a clinical, active sort of way. Just sort of beautiful. And old. It was really easy to dial in the quintessential Mark Knopfler out-of-phase sounds; with the middle pickup being reverse-wound, it was also dead quiet. Raucous Ronnie Wood-type tones were even easier to coax. It can do the Ike Turner thing all day long, but wouldn''t be my first pick for a Hendrix tribute band. But the real star here is the soft V-shaped maple neck. The back of the neck is shaped like it came out of Fullerton around 1956 or ''57, but the maple fingerboard radius is 9.5", like more modern necks. The benefit of this yin-yang approach is one of the nicest necks coming out of Fender these days. If you like the necks on the recent Clapton Blackies or Tex-Mex Strats, you''ll feel right at home with this; it is truly amazing. It sports jumbo fret wire, and benefited by the flatter radius, bends with ease. I know, I''m gushing, but if you have ever had even a fleeting feeling of attraction toward V-necks at any point in your life, go play one of these. Now. I think the only thing that could disappoint would be if huge necks are a priority, as this lands more on the medium end of the neck-size spectrum. At the end of the day, I really love this guitar. The only negative thing that can be leveled at it is the price, which is true of much of the music gear these days. If this guitar was built in the U.S., it would easily fetch $2000, so a list price of $1142.84 ($799 street with gigbag) doesn''t seem quite so bad. Another gripe would be the lack of a lacquer finish, but then I reckon it would cost even more, wouldn''t it?
Fender Classic Player ''50s Stratocaster
Rating: Stay gold, pony-boy. Stay Gold
James Egolf has worked in the music industry for the past decade, and has played in bands since the Reagan administration. He currently likes staying home and mangling fiddle tunes on his flattop.


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The semifinal battle gets under way, pitting Ash against Tobias. The talented Trainer is preceded by his reputation—he's been defeating his opponents using only his Darkrai. Tobias comes on strong and quick, defeating Ash's Heracross, Torkoal, and Gible one after another! But when Ash brings out Sceptile, a spirited skirmish begins, and for the first time during the Sinnoh League, Darkrai is defeated!
Tobias is unfazed by this turn of events. He next brings out Latios, another surprisingly powerful Pokémon. And with one move, Ash's Sceptile is unable to battle.
Ash follows up by bringing out Swellow, and a sky battle between Swellow and Latios ensues. Latios proves too powerful for Swellow, and Ash is left with one Pokémon, while Tobias still has five!
When Ash turns to Pikachu as his final Pokémon, the action-filled bout gets even more intense, and eventually both Latios and Pikachu are rendered unable to battle at the same time. And since Pikachu is Ash's last Pokémon, Tobias is declared the winner! This is the first time Ash has made it to the final four of an event of this magnitude, and he has gained the respect of Tobias—who then goes on to triumph in his final battle and is declared the winner of the Sinnoh League!
We leave our heroes as Barry bids them all farewell. Both Ash and Dawn vow to continue pursuing their dreams, while in the face of their determination, Brock finds himself questioning his own plans…


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As long time TG readers know, we've been following the movie Pacific Rim pretty closely over the last few months. It's Guillermo Del Toro's first film since Hellboy II in 2008, and Warner Brothers is also hoping it will become another big franchise for the studio.
Apparently it's just been test screened and there have been some early reactions already, via Twitter of course.
Having been to a few test screenings myself, I know no matter how many documents they make you sign there's going to be reviews on the 'Net no matter what. In fact, one time I went to a test screening, it took me about half an hour to get home, and by the time I turned on my computer at my apartment there were already at least five reviews posted on the movie.
So what's the early first word on Pacific Rim? Well, this movie is practically custom made for geeks, and the reviews on Collider were pretty positive. Rian Johnson from the movie Looper tweeted, "Go into Pacific Rim prepared to be transmogrified into a 12 year old. And then to pee your pants with joy. I love it so much."
Other tweet reactions? One raved that the flick is "pretttttty cool" another told us, "it is amazing." There was also a review posted on imdb that called it "overall probably the best summer monster movie I've seen, and out of summer movies in general, falls behind the new Batman series, but that's about it." A very important thing to note, thank God, is that Pacific Rim is "not another Transformers clone (re: Battleship). They killed it!"
Aint-It-Cool-News also had two reviews, one very positive, and one that was decent, but not a rave. The review that wasn't stellar claimed, "I was actually bored at times…The lack of character relationship was tedious and deflating." Ultimately this reviewer felt "Pacific Rim is an entertaining but flawed film."
Now this version of the film isn't complete, there's still tweaks that need to be made, so always remember this is a work in progress that may still have a ways to go. And one so-so review so far is a pretty good ratio. We'll know the final verdict closer to Pacific Rim's July 11 release date, and we'll certainly be following all developments closely until then.


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Earlier this week, lost amid the chaos and tragedy inflicted by Superstorm Sandy, Billboard announced that Red, the fourth album by solo artist Taylor Swift, sold 1.208 million copies in its first week.
To put that staggering number in perspective: it's the most albums sold in a single week since The Eminem Show, which moved 1.322 million units back in 2002, and the second-most albums sold in a week by a female artist ever since Soundscan began tracking sales in 1991, topped only by Britney Spears's debut LP, … Baby One More Time, which sold 1.319 million copies 13 years ago. And that was in the pre-iTunes music era when record sales were still relatively robust. This year, the highest-selling week came courtesy of Mumford & Sons, whose sophomore effort moved 600,000 copies, while Justin Bieber's Believe only managed to rack up 374,000 in first-week sales.
Swift's Red, meanwhile, signals the 22-year-old artist's evolution from country-music starlet to full-blown pop diva.
It's an ambitious, eclectic work that sees the cutesy chanteuse dabbling in U2-esque rock ballads ("State of Grace"), Katy Perry-ish bubblegum-pop sing-alongs ("22") and, with the hit single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," puissant anthems. Then there's the standout track "I Knew You Were Trouble." Opening with a scratchy guitar line complemented by hurried vocals—about some shitty guy, naturally—it then segues into Swift's airy vocals pendulum-ing before screaming at the top of her lungs, "NOW I'M LYING ON THE COLD HARD GROUND!" as the entire bottom drops out, splintering into fuzzy wub-wub-wub dubstep wobbles. "I Knew You Were Trouble" is, without question, one of the best (and most addictive) pop songs of the year.
With that song, Swift also reached another milestone: in just six years, she's landed a whopping 50 songs on Billboard's Hot 100, joining Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Connie Francis—as only the fifth woman to accomplish such a feat.
Pretty impressive, right?
So why is Swift, a music prodigy—named after James Taylor—who convinced her parents to move the family to Nashville at the age of 14 so she could pursue a music career, so vilified by contemporary feminist critics? Jezebel labeled her "a feminist's nightmare" in 2010. And a little over a week ago, when Swift was asked if she considers herself a feminist by Newsweek, she replied: "I don't really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life." Jezebel then offered this rather misguided analysis:
"Yes, what you're describing is equality, and equality is what feminism is all about! Except we live in a country where, when you work as hard as guys, you make less money if you're a woman, or worse, a woman of color. It's like she doesn't understand what a feminist is. Is this what happens when you're home-schooled after the age of 15?"
I'm pretty sure all she said was that she wasn't preoccupied with the "feminist" label and, as she's been doing her entire career, leads by example.
The reason that people—in particular 20-something women—seem to take issue with Swift, it seems, is that they feel she merely whines about boys, so they then construe her as being "weak" and "antifeminist," since she's a romantic and falls hard. (Hell, wasn't Adele's 21 all about a miserable break-up?) Plus, she dresses conservatively and, with her tousled blonde tresses, lipstick, and squinty blue eyes, resembles a grown-up American Girls doll. Oh, and she deals mostly in country music—a genre that's much maligned by indie snobs.
Unlike her female solo artist contemporaries—the Katy Perrys and Adeles of the world—Swift doesn't sing about kissing girls and doesn't chain-smoke or curse. She appears to be, on the surface, a paragon of chastity and virtue. But that doesn't mean she isn't a feminist. It's all really a matter of audience. Swift's target audience is 10- to 18-year-old girls. She's a hell of a good role model for that age group. I attended a recent Swift show at the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan and, her stellar live performance chops aside, by the looks of things the audience was comprised almost entirely of young, wholesome girls—either in groups, or with a parent in tow. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Swift also is the genuine article.
Unlike many female pop stars these days with their avant-garde facades, she's never undergone an "image transformation" and compromised her artistic integrity. And, since she co-writes all of her own music, they actually come from somewhere within her, unlike virtually every other female pop star today who has high-priced songwriters come in and pen tunes for them. Dr. Luke wrote many of Katy Perry's hits; "Umbrella" was offered to Britney Spears, who foolishly turned it down before it landed in Rihanna's lap; and Leona Lewis recently claimed she recorded a version of "We Found Love" before Rihanna snagged it.
Since Swift refuses to address her relationships publicly (classy), preferring to allude to them via song, very little is actually known of her romantic entanglements Thus, gossip rags and their consumers develop their own, quasi-substantiated theories. OK, but don't knock her for it. She is, after all, a respectable 22-year-old artist who just made one of the best pop albums of the year.
That's pretty badass.


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- Collection
- 1935-1983
The Ogura papers include five document series including general correspondence, research manuscripts, appointment calendars, medical school notes, and reprints. In terms of subjects, the general correspondence includes Ogura's editorial work for The Laryngoscope and peer reviews for other journals, as well as professional associations to which Ogura gave much time. Of local interest is material on Barnes Hospital, Jewish Hospital, but mostly on the administration of the department of Otolaryngology in the Washington University School of Medicine.
The research manuscripts and reprints cover his clinical research interests in head and neck surgery, laryngeal physiology and transplantation, and nasopulmonary mechanics. Formats of the paper documents include correspondence, department records, notebooks, manuscripts, and reprints. The reprints are a sampling of his 300 published articles.
Ogura, Joseph H.


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Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)
1. What are CEIS?
CEIS are services provided to students in kindergarten through grade 12 (with a particular emphasis on students in kindergarten through grade three) who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in a general education environment. The IDEA (20 U.S.C. §1413(f)(2)) and its regulations (34 CFR §300.226(b)) identify the activities that may be included as CEIS: (1) professional development for teachers and other school staff to enable such personnel to deliver scientifically based academic and behavioral interventions, including scientifically based literacy instruction, and, where appropriate, instruction on the use of adaptive and instructional software; and (2) providing educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports, including scientifically based literacy instruction.
For example, an LEA might use CEIS to provide behavioral interventions to nondisabled students who receive a certain number of disciplinary office referrals, perhaps as a part of a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) initiative. CEIS also might be used to help fund reading or math specialists to work with nondisabled students who have not reached grade-level proficiency in those subjects, or to fund after-school tutoring for nondisabled students who score below "basic" on Statewide assessments.
Section 613(f)(5) of the IDEA also states that CEIS funds may be used to carry out services aligned with activities funded by and carried out under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), if IDEA funds are used to supplement, and not supplant, funds made available under the ESEA for those activities. Thus, if the IDEA funds do not supplant ESEA funds, they may be used to supplement school improvement activities conducted under other programs, such as Titles I or III, that are being implemented in an LEA. For more information on the supplement not supplant requirements, please see Question 24.
2. Who may receive CEIS?
Section 613(f)(1) of the IDEA permits LEAs to use IDEA funds for CEIS for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (with a particular emphasis on students in kindergarten through grade three) who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. See also 34 CFR §300.226(a). Children who are not yet in kindergarten may not receive CEIS. The preamble to the IDEA Part B regulations clarifies that students who received special education in the past, but are not currently receiving special education, are eligible to receive CEIS. (71
An LEA determines which students need additional support. For example, an LEA might consider factors such as performance on reading or math assessments, disciplinary referrals, or suspension and expulsions. If an LEA chooses to use CEIS funds to support school-wide interventions,[1] it must be able to provide documentation that CEIS funds were used to provide services only to students in need of additional support and that other funds were used to fund the school-wide intervention for special education students and students who do not need additional support.
3. When is provision of CEIS required?
Under 34 CFR §300.646(b)(2), if a State identifies significant disproportionality based on race or ethnicity in an LEA with respect to the identification of children as children with disabilities, the identification of children in specific disability categories, the placement of children with disabilities in particular educational settings, or the taking of disciplinary actions, the LEA must use the maximum amount (15 percent) of funds allowable for comprehensive CEIS for children in the LEA, particularly, but not exclusively, for children in those groups that were "significantly overidentified."
4. May an LEA limit comprehensive CEIS solely to members of the racial or ethnic group for which significant disproportionality was identified?
No. The requirement in 34 CFR §300.646(b)(2) is to provide comprehensive CEIS to serve "children in the LEA, particularly, but not exclusively, children in those groups that were significantly overidentified." For example, assume an LEA's data show significant disproportionality in the identification of African-American students as children with disabilities and that the majority of these students are identified in 4th and 5th grades in six of the LEA's 15 elementary schools. In this case, one appropriate way an LEA could implement CEIS would be to direct CEIS funds to all nondisabled 3rd and 4th grade children in need of additional academic or behavioral support in those six schools. It would not be appropriate, however, for the LEA to limit eligibility for CEIS only to nondisabled 3rd and 4th grade African-American students in those schools who were in need of additional academic or behavioral support. In this example, the services would be provided to 3rd and 4th grade students in order to intervene prior to the grade when significant disproportionality was identified.
5. How may an LEA use CEIS funds for professional development?
CEIS funds may be used to provide professional development to all personnel who are responsible for students who need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in a general education environment, but who have not been identified as needing special education. Under limited circumstances personnel who are solely responsible for students receiving special education services or students who do not need additional support may participate in professional development funded with CEIS funds. These personnel may participate so long as the cost of the professional development does not increase, the quality of the professional development does not decrease, and including those personnel would not exclude other personnel who are responsible for students who need additional support but have not been identified as needing special education.
6. What are the reporting requirements for CEIS?
The regulations require, in 34 CFR §300.226(d), each LEA that implements CEIS to report to the State on the number of children who received CEIS and the number of those children who subsequently received special education and related services under Part B during the preceding two-year period (i.e., the two years after the child has received CEIS). (71 FR 46540, 46628 (Aug. 14, 2006)). States and LEAs must maintain these records for audit and monitoring purposes but are not required to report these data to the Department unless requested to do so.
7. How should an LEA count and track students who received CEIS when funds are used for professional development or a school-wide intervention initiative?
To ensure consistency across LEAs in a State, each State should develop a method for its LEAs to count and track students who are served by personnel who participated in professional development activities supported with CEIS funds. It would be appropriate for an LEA to count, and subsequently track for two years, the number of students in need of additional support who received instruction from personnel who participated in the professional development program. It would not be appropriate to count every student who was taught by these personnel if some of the students were not in need of additional support or were receiving special education services. An LEA should only count the students and the personnel who participated in the professional development program in the year(s) of or the year(s) immediately after the training, rather than counting the students and those personnel each year after the training. A similar method might be used to count students who benefit from a school-wide intervention initiative supported with CEIS funds. Students who meet the LEA's criteria of being in need of additional support and participate in the initiative should be counted as receiving CEIS in the year(s) of or the year(s) immediately following the initiative and tracked for the following two years. Students who participate in an initiative for more than one year should be counted each year they participate.
8. How should an LEA count and track students who received CEIS when funds are used to provide behavioral and educational evaluations?
LEAs may use CEIS funds to provide behavioral and educational evaluations to determine the supports that are needed by students to succeed in a general education environment. However, funds may not be used for evaluations that are intended for use in determining eligibility for special education and related services. Students who are evaluated to determine the supports necessary for success in a general education environment should be counted as receiving CEIS in the year of or the year immediately following the evaluation and tracked for the following two years.
[1] School-wide interventions, as used in this memorandum, are interventions that are implemented throughout a school. The reference to school-wide interventions is not a reference to school-wide programs under section 1114 of the ESEA.


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February 28, 2023
BY Swedish Biofuels AB
Sugar Valley Energy, a new 160-acre bioenergy campus planned in California's Imperial Valley has added New York-based TerraNova Capital Equities, Inc. to its finance team to lead marketing and placement of equity capital for the $1 billion project.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., have introduced the Renewable Fuel for Ocean-Going Vessels Act, which aims to ensure that RINs generated for renewable fuel used by ocean-going vessels would be eligible for RFS compliance.
The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. EPA on Feb. 22 released a funding opportunity announcement (FOA), entitled, "Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels," for up to $9.4 million for the development of advanced biofuels.
Aemetis Inc., an RNG and renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, has announced an updated five-year plan that projects the company will generate $1.95 billion in revenues and $645 million of adjusted EBITDA in 2028.
Braya Renewable Fuels on Feb. 22 announced that its project to convert an oil refinery in Come By Chance, Newfoundland and Labrador, to renewable fuels is now complete and that commercial operations have commenced.


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It turns out Starbucks isn't contributing any upfront scholarship money to an online college degree program it introduced this week.
The Seattle-based company unveiled a program Monday that included a scholarship it described as "an investment" between Starbucks and Arizona State University. The program is designed to allow Starbucks workers to earn an online degree at the school at a steeply discounted rate.
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Initially, Starbucks said that workers would be able to offset the costs through an upfront scholarship it was providing with Arizona State, but declined to say exactly how much of the cost it was shouldering. The chain estimated the scholarship would average about $6,500 over two years to cover tuition of about $20,000.
Following the announcement, however, Arizona State University President Michael Crow told The Chronicle of Higher Education that Starbucks is not contributing any money toward the scholarship. Instead, Arizona State will essentially charge workers less than the sticker price for online tuition. Much of the remainder would likely be covered by federal aid since most Starbucks workers don't earn a lot of money.
Workers would pay whatever costs remained out of pocket for the first two years, and Starbucks would bear no costs.
Starbucks Corp. had previously declined to say how much it was contributing to the scholarship. But in a subsequent email Wednesday evening, Starbucks said that the scholarship is being "funded by ASU."
A representative for Arizona State wasn't immediately available for comment.
The program, which has been widely praised because education benefits are rare for low-wage workers, brought attention to the struggles people face in paying for college. It is unusual because workers can pick from 40 different degree programs and aren't required to stay with Starbucks after they complete their degrees.
As with most matters involving financial aid, the details of the program are complicated and would vary depending on a worker's situation. For the freshman and sophomore years, workers would pay any remaining costs after factoring in the discount from ASU and federal aid.
Based on estimates provided by Starbucks, the worker would pay around $1,000 a year on average out of pocket.
The program would work much the same way for the junior and senior years, except that Starbucks would reimburse workers for their out-of-pocket costs, once they completed 21 credits.
It's not clear whether the program will end up costing Starbucks more than its existing program, which offers up to $1,000 a year to take classes at City University of Seattle or Strayer University, with no limit on the number of years they can apply. Since it was rolled out in October 2011, Starbucks said it has paid out $6.5 million for that program. It will be phased out by 2015.
The company said it does not yet know how much the new program might cost. But Laurel Harper, a Starbucks spokeswoman, said its analysis with ASU found most of its workers would qualify for federal Pell grants.


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Coral is again flourishing in the crater left by the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated by the United States, 54 years after the blast on Bikini Atoll, marine scientists reported Tuesday.
A team of research divers visited Bravo crater — ground zero for the test of a thermonuclear weapon in the remote Marshall Islands on March 1, 1954 — and found large numbers of fish and coral growing, although some species appeared locally extinct.
"I didn't know what to expect, some kind of moonscape perhaps. But it was incredible, huge matrices of branching Porites coral had established, creating thriving coral reef habitat," Zoe Richards, from Australia's James Cook University, said of the trip to the atoll in the South Pacific.
"We saw communities not too far from any coral reef, with plenty of fish, corals and action going on, some really striking individual colonies," she said.
The 15 megaton hydrogen bomb was 1,000 times more powerful than the blast that destroyed Hiroshima, vaporizing islands with temperatures hitting 99,000 degres Fahrenheit, and shaking islands up to 120 miles away.
The resulting 4 mile-wide fireball left a crater 1 mile wide and 80 yards deep, while the mushroom cloud rose 62 miles over the South Pacific and radioactive fallout reached Australia and Japan.
Richards, from the Australian government-backed Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, said the research team from Germany, Italy, Hawaii, Australia and the Marshall Islands found corals up to 27 feet tall and some with 12 inch-thick trunks.
'Corals growing like trees'
"It was fascinating. I've never seen corals growing like trees outside of the Marshall Islands," Richards said.
While above-water areas remained contaminated and unfit for human habitation, healthy sub-sea species probably traveled on strong winds and currents from nearby Rongelap Atoll, which was not bombed in a series of 23 tests between 1946-58.
"It is absolutely pristine for another tragic reason. It received fallout and was evacuated of people, so now underwater it's really healthy and prevailing winds have probably been seeding Bikini Atoll's recovery," Richards said.
Compared with a study made before the atomic tests, the team established that 42 species were missing compared to the early 1950s, with at least 28 of those locally extinct. They attributed the loss to the blasts or resulting radioactivity.
"The missing corals are fragile lagoonal specialists — slender branching or leafy forms that you only find in the sheltered waters of a lagoon," Zoe said.
Safe to visit, not to live there
Decontamination work at Bikini has made it safe to visit, but not to live or even live off the local food.
"The ambient gamma radiation the residential island of Bikini atoll was fairly low — pretty much like the background radiation in an Australian city," said Maria Beger of the University of Queensland, who took a Geiger counter with her on the expedition. "However when I put the Geiger counter near a coconut, which accumulates radioactive material from the soil, it went berserk."
The team was asked by Marshall Islands authorities to investigate Bikini for the first time since the tests, in part to see if a small diving industry could safely be expanded.
The waters around Bikini are littered with wrecks of old, decommissioned ships sunk during the atomic tests, including the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and the former Japanese flagship HIJMS Nagato, from which Admiral Yamoto gave the order to attack Pearl Harbor.
"The healthy condition of the coral at Bikini atoll today is proof of their resilience and ability to bounce back from massive disturbances," Zoe said, "that is, if the reef is left undisturbed and there are healthy nearby reefs to source the recovery."
She added that that resiliency does not mean the threat to corals from climate change had been overestimated.
"Climate change is an ongoing struggle to survive with coral, with no reprieve in sight," she said.